In a few weeks, we'll ask more schools to take the Recess Checkup to see how their recesses stack up.

If you haven't done so yet, let us know what brought you to Recess Lab, and what your experience of recess and play has been.

This month at Recess Lab we're all about:

Fall is a season of new beginnings. The weather's changing. It's a new school year with new classmates, teachers, and games to try at recess. Keeping the attention of energetic kids—at home or at school—is challenging, but it's also an opportunity to build relationships and have some fun.

Take a proactive approach to group management with these tips.

Get creative with secret handshakes
One-on-one conversations, silly claps, cheers, get-to-know-you games, and compliments are great ways to build rapport and mutual respect.

Consider learning styles
Just like adults, kids have different learning styles: Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social, Solitary. Try to incorporate as many as you can—for instance, don't just verbalize instructions, show what you mean with movement.

Use attention getters and signals
Disarming kids with humor isn't just effective, it builds trust and connection between students and adults. Playful attention getters are fun and practical; signals can be any sound or body movement that indicates an action: a whistle, clapping, two fingers raised, or a verbal cue.

Watch Coach Shawn demonstrate a few of our favorite attention-getters (it's impossible not to smile while watching, be warned!)—and then forward this email to anyone you think may be interested:

Get clapping and have fun, and as always let us know how it's going!

Jill

Jill Vialet
CEO and Founder, Playworks

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to get more tips like these from the pros at Recess Lab, and then take our Recess Checkup, a brief online quiz to evaluate your recess and know where to improve.